Giant Whales Flock to Ice-Free East Greenland as Sea Ice Recedes
Warming seas are melting sea ice along East Greenland, enabling baleen whales (humpback, fin, and minke) to feed in previously ice-covered waters. A decades-long study combining aerial surveys, satellite tagging, and Inuit observations reports thousands of whales in Greenland's summer 2024, signaling a major ecological regime shift as these species opportunistically exploit the new habitat; it’s unclear if numbers reflect population growth or redistribution, and while some Arctic species benefit, others like narwhals and belugas may lose habitat.